[_Mr Perkins has returned to his paper, his daughter is more or less intent on her work, Mrs Perkins darns and yawns. Mr Perkins snores gently._ MRS PERKINS Might as well all be asleep. MISS PERKINS Listen, Ma! MRS PERKINS Somebody runnin’. Seem in an ’urry. [_Something crashes through the window and falls with broken glass upon the floor._ MISS PERKINS Good gracious! MRS PERKINS Mercy on us! MR PERKINS (_Waking up_.) Fire! Where is it? MRS PERKINS Nonsense, Pa! It’s them boys. Out arter ’em. MR PERKINS What! Where? MISS PERKINS No. Don’t go. Don’t leave us. It can’t be boys. MR PERKINS (_Seeing the broken window._) This is very careless, Polly. MISS PERKINS It wasn’t me. It’s a stone, I think. MRS PERKINS They’re far enough now. Where is it? MISS PERKINS I’m all of a tremble. MRS PERKINS You ought to ’ave run right out, Pa, and you might ’ave caught ’em. I never did see such a thing. MR PERKINS It’s an outrage, this is. Did y’ see anybody? MRS PERKINS We ’eard somebody runnin’. MISS PERKINS I thought I ’eard somebody passing after that. Quietly like. Runnin’ very light. MR PERKINS Nonsense, Polly. Better put that blind up now. MISS PERKINS You put it up. MR PERKINS Do as I tell you. MISS PERKINS I don’t like. MRS PERKINS ’Ere, ’ere. Give it me. [_She puts it up and peers out into the street._ MISS PERKINS Come away, Ma. MR PERKINS Where’s the stone? [_They all look about the floor._ MISS PERKINS Here it is. Here’s something. (_She picks it up._) Why! it’s a lump of glass. MR PERKINS Let’s look! MRS PERKINS Let me see. [_They crowd round._ MR PERKINS I say! MISS PERKINS What is it? What is it? MRS PERKINS Give it me, Polly. [_She grabs it._ MR PERKINS Hold it up to the light. MISS PERKINS Why! What can it be? MRS PERKINS (_Relinquishing it to her husband._) Nonsense! Nonsense! [_She goes back to her chair and begins to fumble with her darning. She is greatly agitated._ MR PERKINS It’s a rum thing, this is. MISS PERKINS Eh! Isn’t it beautiful? MR PERKINS It might be a---- MISS PERKINS Diamond? MR PERKINS Nonsense! MRS PERKINS (_Rushing forward._) Hide it! [_She seizes the diamond and looks about the room._ MISS PERKINS Why! What d’ y’ mean, Ma! MRS PERKINS It’s it. MR PERKINS (_Feebly._) What’s it? MRS PERKINS You know. MR PERKINS What--what--what rubbish! The idea! MRS PERKINS (_Looking at it in her palm._) It’s the Grand Cham’s dimond. MR PERKINS Then it’s dangerous. MRS PERKINS Never mind that. MISS PERKINS What shall we do? [_She begins to whimper._ MRS PERKINS Stop that, Polly. MR PERKINS P’raps we’d better look out for a policeman. MRS PERKINS No. MR PERKINS If it is it we’re not safe. MRS PERKINS I don’t care. MR PERKINS But what d’ y’ want to do? MRS PERKINS Here! Let’s put it inside the clock. (_She opens the back of the clock and crams it in._) Now! MR PERKINS What are y’ up to, Ma? MISS PERKINS